High performance air intake system

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for a heat shield with an integrated air filter assembly is disclosed. Wherein the air filter assembly comprising a filter material circumferentially extending such that the filter material surrounds at least a portion of an interior cavity of the air filter, a distal end cap affixed to a distal end of the filter material, and a wire support extending along at least a portion of an exterior surface of the filter material; and wherein the heat shield is configured to direct cooler air into an air intake conduit extending from an intake portion of an automobile engine for combustion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/903,935 filed Jun. 17, 2020 and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/452,595 filed on Mar. 7, 2017, issued as U.S.Pat. No. 10,718,300 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/305,698,filed Mar. 9, 2016, the entirety of each of said applications beingincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The field of the present disclosure generally relates to air filters.More particularly, the field of the invention relates to an apparatusand a method for a heat shield with an integrated air filter assembly.

BACKGROUND

Air filters designed to remove particulates are generally composed offibrous materials. These fibrous materials may remove solid particulatessuch as dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria from the air. Air filters areused in applications where air quality is important, notably in buildingventilation systems and in engines.

Air filters may be used in automobiles, trucks, tractors, locomotivesand other vehicles that use internal combustion engines. Air filters maybe used with gasoline engines, diesel engines, or other engines that runon fossil fuels or other combustible substances. Air filters may be usedwith engines in which combustion is intermittent, such as four-strokeand two-stroke piston engines, as well as other types of engines thattake in air so that a combustible substance may be burned. For example,air filters may be used with some gas turbines. Filters may also be usedwith air compressors or in other devices that take in air.

Filters may be made from pleated paper, foam, cotton, spun fiberglass,or other known filter materials. Generally the air intakes of internalcombustion engines and compressors tend to use either: paper, foam, orcotton filters. Some filters use an oil bath. Air filters for internalcombustion engines prevents abrasive particulate matter from enteringthe engine's cylinders, where it would cause mechanical wear and oilcontamination. Many fuel injected engines utilize a flat panel pleatedpaper filter element. This filter is usually placed inside an enclosed,plastic box connected to a throttle body by way of ductwork. Vehiclesthat use carburetors or throttle body fuel injection systems typicallyuse a cylindrical air filter positioned above the carburetor or thethrottle body.

Conventional enclosures for air filters have many drawbacks. Forexample, as particular matter builds up in the filter, air flow throughthe filter becomes restricted. Such a restricted air flow generallyleads to a reduction in engine performance, such as a decrease in enginepower output and a greater fuel consumption. Moreover, as the paperfilter becomes increasingly clogged, pressure inside the filterdecreases while the atmospheric air pressure outside the filter remainsthe same. When the difference in pressure becomes too great,contaminants may be drawn through the paper filter directly into theengine. Thus, the ability of the paper filter to protect the engine fromcontamination and internal damage tends to decrease near the end of thefilter's service life.

An undesirable effect of conventional air filter enclosures is thatwarmer air tends to be received by the intake side of an automobile'sengine, causing a significant reduction in engine performance.Therefore, what is needed is an air intake system that exhibits reducedair resistance, and an enclosure that is configured to reduce the amountof warm air entering the engine.

SUMMARY

An apparatus and a method are provided for a heat shield with anintegrated air filter assembly to communicate air flow from an exteriorof an air filter to an intake portion of an automobile engine. Due tothe amount of heat that is dissipated by the engine of an automobile,for example, the heat shield is configured to protect components of theintake system such as the air filter assembly and optionally, theautomobile's bodywork from potential heat damage. It is envisioned thatthe heat shield and integrated air filter assembly may provide desirableperformance benefits by reducing intake air temperatures, therebyincreasing engine performance, as discussed herein.

In one embodiment, the air filter comprises a filter materialcircumferentially extending such that the filter material surrounds atleast a portion of an interior cavity of the air filter. An end cap isaffixed to a distal end of the filter material, and a wire support mayextend along at least a portion of the exterior surface of the filtermaterial. The distal end cap and the wire support are configured tosupport the air filter and retain the filter material in a desiredconfiguration.

In one embodiment, the heat shield comprises a partial housing portionand a mount portion. A front surface of the housing portion includes aconduit configured to receive an air intake conduit extending from theintake portion of the automobile engine. A back surface of the housingportion includes a recess configured to receive a proximal end of thefilter material. The partial housing portion is configured to direct airdrawn through the filter material into the interior cavity of the airfilter and then through the conduit into the intake portion of theautomobile engine. The mount portion is configured to support the heatshield and the air filter, once installed, within an interior of anautomobile engine bay. In an embodiment, the air filter is fastened tothe partial housing portion such that the air filter is irremovable fromthe heat shield. Rather than removing and replacing the air filter, asis common with conventional air filters, the air filter of the presentinvention may be periodically cleaned and reused. In an embodiment, theheat shield with the integrated air filter may be cleaned whileinstalled within the engine bay by removing the air intake conduit ofthe automobile engine from the conduit of the heat shield, inserting awater hose through the conduit into the interior cavity of the airfilter, and spraying water so as to flush contaminants from the filtermaterial. The water and contaminants may drain from a bottom portion ofthe air filter and exit the engine bay.

In one embodiment, an apparatus for a heat shield with an integrated airfilter assembly is disclosed, wherein the air filter assembly comprisesa filter material circumferentially extending such that the filtermaterial surrounds at least a portion of an interior cavity of the airfilter, a distal end cap affixed to a distal end of the filter material,and a wire support extending along at least a portion of an exteriorsurface of the filter material; and wherein the heat shield isconfigured to direct cooler air into an air intake conduit extendingfrom an intake portion of an automobile engine for combustion. In oneembodiment, the air filter assembly is fastened to a housing portionsuch that the air filter assembly is irremovable from the heat shield.

In yet another embodiment, the heat shield is comprised of a materialwhich is sufficiently durable and temperature resistant to retain itsconfiguration during installation and operation. In one embodiment, themount portion includes a suitable fastening means to facilitateinstalling the heat shield into the automobile engine bay.

In one embodiment, the fastening means is dependent on the specific makeand model of the automobile with which the heat shield is to be used. Inanother embodiment, the transition provides a connection between the airintake conduit and the housing portion.

In one embodiment, the transition comprises a molded portion between theconduit and the housing portion. In another embodiment, the transitionpositions a longitudinal dimension of the conduit at an angle relativeto the housing portion. In yet another embodiment, the angle between theconduit and the housing portion depends upon the particular automobilefor which the heat shield is to be utilized.

In one embodiment, the opening has a diameter suitable to accept the airintake conduit of the automobile engine. In another embodiment, the heatshield and the air filter assembly are configured such that the airfilter may be periodically cleaned without removing the air filterassembly from the heat shield. In yet another embodiment, the mountportion further comprises a plurality of structural supports.

In one embodiment, the structural supports are ribs configured toincrease the rigidity of the mount portion. In another embodiment, thehousing portion comprises a plurality of structural members. In yetanother embodiment, the structural members are ribs configured toincrease the rigidity of the housing portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings refer to embodiments of the present invention in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a heat shieldwith an integrated air filter assembly;

FIG. 2A is a lower perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a heatshield;

FIG. 2B is an upper perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of aheat shield;

FIG. 3 is a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of elements of aconduit;

FIG. 4 is a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of elements of aconduit; and

FIG. 5 is a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of elements of aconduit.

While the present invention is subject to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by wayof example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. Theinvention should be understood to not be limited to the particular formsdisclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover allmodifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spiritand scope of the present invention.

DETAILED DISCUSSION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. Itwill be apparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art that thepresent invention may be practiced without these specific details. Inother instances, well known components or methods have not beendescribed in detail but rather in a block diagram, or a schematic, inorder to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Furtherspecific numeric references such as “first gasket,” may be made.However, the specific numeric reference should not be interpreted as aliteral sequential order but rather interpreted that the “first gasket”is different than a “second gasket.” Thus, the specific details setforth are merely exemplary. The specific details may be varied from andstill be contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. The term “coupled” is defined as meaning connected eitherdirectly to the component or indirectly to the component through anothercomponent.

In general, the present invention describes an apparatus and a methodfor a heat shield with an integrated air filter to communicate air flowfrom an exterior of the air filter to an intake portion of an automobileengine. The air filter comprises a filter material circumferentiallyextending such that the filter material surrounds at least a portion ofan interior cavity of the air filter. An end cap is affixed to a distalend of the filter material, and a wire support extends along at least aportion of the exterior surface of the filter material. The distal endcap and the wire support are configured to retain the filter material ina desired configuration and support the air filter.

The heat shield comprises a housing portion and a mount portion. A frontsurface of the housing portion includes a conduit configured to receivean air intake conduit extending from the intake portion of theautomobile engine. A back surface of the housing portion includes arecess configured to receive a proximal end of the filter material. Thehousing portion is configured to direct air drawn through the filtermaterial into the interior cavity of the air filter and then through theconduit into the intake portion of the automobile engine. The mountportion is configured to support the heat shield and the air filter,once installed, within an interior of an automobile engine bay.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment 100 of a heat shield 105 withan integrated air filter assembly 130. With reference to FIG. 1 , theheat shield 105 comprises a housing portion 112 and a mount portion 116.The heat shield 105 preferably is comprised of a material which issufficiently durable and temperature resistant to retain itsconfiguration during installation and operation when coupled with theair intake system of an automobile.

Preferably, the heat shield comprises a substantially metallic material,including by way of non-limiting example, aluminum, titanium, steel, andthe like. In some embodiments, a thermal coating may also be disposed onone or more surfaces of the heat shield 105, so as to provide furtherreflective and/or heat resistant capabilities. It should be understoodthat the heat shield 105 may vary in size, shape and generalconfiguration depending on the automobile, and especially theautomobile's particular engine configuration. In general, the heatshield 105 is configured so as to direct cooler air into the engine forcombustion. It should be appreciated that cooler air results in moreoxygen being communicated to the combustion chamber, thereby desirablyincreasing the engine's performance.

The heat shield 105 generally is of a partially open variety, ratherthan being a fully enclosed configuration, such that the air intakeassembly may be partially exposed to the elements. It should beappreciated that once the hood of the automobile is closed, the hood maycome in contact with a top edge of the heat shield 105, so as tosealingly engage with a first gasket 110. It will be recognized by thoseskilled in the art that the open heat shield 105 improves airflow to theair filter assembly 130, and thus decreases air resistance to the intakeportion of the automobile engine, thereby improving engine performancebeyond that otherwise possible with conventional enclosures.

The mount portion 116 generally is configured to be mounted, orfastened, to the interior of an automobile engine bay. It is envisionedthat the mount portion 116 is to include a suitable fastening means tofacilitate installing the heat shield into the engine bay, such as, byway of example, suitably designed holes, brackets, molded shapedportions, protrusions, extensions, straps, hardware fasteners, or otherany similar device for holding the heat shield fixed within the enginebay. It will be recognized that the particular fastening means will varyaccording to the specific make and model of the automobile with whichthe heat shield is to be used. As shown in FIG. 1 , a first and secondgasket 110, 112 may also be disposed on the upper and/or lower regionsof the heat shield 105 so as to insulate the heat shield from engine bayheat.

The housing portion 112 generally is configured to support the airfilter assembly 130 and provide an interface between the air filterassembly 130 and an intake portion of an automobile engine. An airintake conduit 118 extending to the intake portion of the automobileengine is also provided, and generally comprises arm 115, transition 120and cylindrical region 125. Preferably, the transition 120 provides amolded connection between the conduit 118 and the housing portion 112,although other forms of connections will be apparent to those skilled inthe art. The transition 120 generally positions a curved, longitudinaldimension of the conduit 118 at an angle relative to the housing portion112. In one embodiment, the angle between the conduit 120 and thehousing portion 112 is substantially 90-degrees. In other embodiments,the value of the angle between the conduit 120 and the housing portion112 depends upon the particular automobile for which the heat shield 105is to be utilized. It will be appreciated that a wide variety ofdifferent angles and shapes of the conduit 120 may be incorporated intoother embodiments of the heat shield 105 without detracting from thepresent invention.

In one embodiment, the conduit 118 comprises a flange and an opening.The opening serves the function of conducting air drawn through the airfilter assembly 130 into an interior cavity of the filter into the airintake of the automobile engine. It will be appreciated that the flangehas a configuration and the opening has a diameter suitable to acceptthe air intake conduit of the automobile engine. For example, the flangemay comprise any of a variety of additional ridges, or raised portions,so as to optimally engage the air intake conduit of the automobileengine. The specific configuration of the flange and the diameter of theopening depend upon the particular make and model of the engine forwhich the heat shield 105 is to be utilized, and thus a wide variety ofconfigurations and diameters may be incorporated into the heat shield105 without straying beyond the scope of the present invention.

It is envisioned that a user of the heat shield 105 may periodicallyclean the air filter assembly 130 rather than replacing the air filterassembly 130, as is typically done with conventional air filter systems.One embodiment of a method for cleaning the air filter assembly 130comprises removing the air intake conduit 132 of the automobile from theconduit 118, inserting a water hose through the opening 133 into theinterior cavity 134 of the filter, and spraying water so as to flushcontaminants from the filter material. It is envisioned that the waterand filter contaminants drain from a bottom portion of the air filterassembly and exit the engine bay. In another embodiment of the methodfor cleaning the air filter assembly 130, a high pressure air hose maybe utilized in lieu of the water hose. In still another embodiment ofthe method for cleaning the air filter assembly 130, water may besprayed onto the top of the filter, such that the water and contaminantsdrain from the bottom portion of the filter and exit the engine bay.Other cleaning methods will be apparent to those skilled in the artwithout deviating from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

As best shown in FIGS. 2A-2B, the mount portion 116 comprises aplurality of structural supports 160. In the illustrated embodiment ofFIGS. 2A-2B, the structural supports 160 are ribs that increase therigidity of the mount portion 116, as well as the connection between themount portion 116 and the housing portion 112, thereby endowing the heatshield 105 with a resistance to warping when fastened within the enginebay. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that thestructural supports 160 operate to keep the air filter assembly 130advantageously positioned within the engine bay without requiring anenclosed heat shield. In one embodiment, the housing portion 112 maycomprise a plurality of structural members that are substantiallysimilar to the structural members 160. In still other embodiments, thehousing portion 112 may comprise a plurality of structural members thatare different than the structural members 160. Various embodiments ofthe structural supports 160 other than the ribs shown in FIGS. 2A-2Bwill be apparent to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, a gasket 110may be disposed on one or more edges of the heat shield 105, so as toprevent vibrations and provide sealing engagement with one or moresurfaces of the automobile.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the filter material circumferentially surrounds theinterior cavity 134 such that the filter material creates an exteriorperimeter of at least a portion of the interior cavity 134. As mentionedabove, the exterior shape may be generally circular, oval, conical, orotherwise shaped to improve the surface area available for air flowpassage for a given volume of the interior cavity 136. The shape may beconsistent along a longitudinal length or may vary along the length. Forexample, the outer profile may taper from the proximal end to the distalend cap.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the filter materialprovides a surface area through which to pass an air stream and trapparticulate matter and other contaminates so as to prevent them fromentering into the air intake of the automobile engine. The filtermaterial may be comprised of paper, foam, cotton, spun fiberglass, orother known filter materials, woven or non-woven material, synthetic ornatural, or any combination thereof. The filter material may be pleatedor otherwise shaped or contoured to increase the surface area forpassing the air stream to be cleaned. In other embodiments, the filtermaterial may comprise a combination of materials to create a hybridfilter medium. In still other embodiments, the filter material mayfurther comprise oil to enhance the air cleaning properties of thefilter material. Other embodiments may include a depth loading featurewhich gives the air filter assembly 130 a high airflow with a lowrestriction while providing large contaminant holding capacities.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-5 , elements of the air intake conduit 118 thatextend to the intake portion of the automobile engine are shown. The airintake conduit 118 generally comprises arm 115, transition 120 andcylindrical region 125. Preferably, elements of the air intake conduit118 comprise of any of various molded plastics, synthetic materials,silicones and/or metals. In one embodiment, a carbon fiber tube may alsobe used. As shown, the arm 115, transition 120 and cylindrical region125 may comprise a plurality of ribs 114 circumferentially disposedthereon, so as to couple with the transition 120 and cylindrical region125. The ribs 114 may be disposed at various locations in varying numberand widths as appropriate. It should be understood that elements of theair intake conduit 118 may be coupled together using any of variousfastening means 121, such as, by way of example, suitably designedholes, brackets, molded shaped portions, protrusions, extensions,straps, hardware fasteners, or other any similar device for retainingpurposes.

Although shown in a generally modular arrangement comprising moldedelements, the air intake conduit 118 may also comprise a unitaryconstruction. As shown in FIG. 3 , the arm 115 comprises a substantially30-degree bend, whereas the transition 120 and cylindrical region 125comprise a 90-degree bend. However, as shown in FIG. 4 , in oneembodiment, the arm 115, transition 120 and cylindrical region 125 areconfigured so as to comprise substantially straight portions, withoutany bends. Finally, as shown in FIG. 5 , the arm 115 comprises a hybridconstruction, such that certain portions of the arm 115 are plastic,whereas other comprise metal. Furthermore, as shown, arm 155 comprises asubstantially straight region without any bends. Transition 120 is shownas comprising a substantially 45-degree bend, whereas cylindrical region125 comprises a substantially 90-degree bend. It should be appreciatedthat elements of the air intake conduit 118 may comprise any degree ofbends as necessary depending on the application.

While some specific embodiments of the present invention have been shownthe invention is not to be limited to these embodiments. For example,most functions performed by electronic hardware components may beduplicated by software emulation. Thus, a software program written toaccomplish those same functions may emulate the functionality of thehardware components in input-output circuitry. The present invention isto be understood as not limited by the specific embodiments describedherein, but only by scope of the appended claims.

1.-15. (canceled)
 16. An air filtration system for an internalcombustion engine, comprising: an air filter assembly disposed within anengine bay; a heat shield partially surrounding the air filter assembly;a conduit coupled between the air filter assembly and an air intake ofthe engine; a first gasket disposed along a top of the heat shield; anda second gasket disposed along a bottom of the heat shield.
 17. Thesystem of claim 16, wherein the first gasket is configured to contact aninner surface of a hood.
 18. The system of claim 16, wherein the secondgasket is configured to insulate the heat shield from engine bay heat.19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first gasket and the secondgasket are configured to hinder heat transfer to the heat shield. 20.The system of claim 16, wherein the heat shield comprises a mountportion and a housing portion.
 21. The system of claim 20, wherein themount portion is configured for mounting the heat shield to an interiorof the engine bay.
 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the mount portioncomprises a plurality of structural supports configured to increase therigidity of the mount portion.
 23. The system of claim 21, wherein theplurality of structural supports comprises a plurality of ribs.
 24. Thesystem of claim 21, wherein the mount portion includes a fastening meansfor mounting the heat shield.
 25. The system of claim 24, wherein thefirst gasket and the second gasket are respectively disposed on upperand lower edges of the heat shield.
 26. The system of claim 20, whereinthe housing portion is configured to support the air filter assembly andprovide an interface between the air filter assembly and the conduit.27. The system of claim 21, wherein the housing portion comprises aplurality of structural members configured to increase the rigidity ofthe housing portion.
 28. The system of claim 27, wherein the pluralityof structural members comprises a plurality of ribs.
 29. A method forfiltering an airstream entering an internal combustion engine,comprising: disposing an air filter assembly within an engine bay;positioning a heat shield around the air filter assembly; coupling aconduit between the air filter assembly and an air intake of the engine;disposing a first gasket along a top of the heat shield; and disposing asecond gasket along a bottom of the heat shield.
 30. The method of claim29, wherein positioning the heat shield comprises partially surroundingthe air filter assembly by way of the heat shield.
 31. The method ofclaim 29, wherein positioning the heat shield includes mounting the heatshield to an interior of the engine bay.
 32. The method of claim 29,wherein positioning the heat shield includes causing the first gasket tocontact an inner surface of a hood.
 33. The method of claim 29, whereinpositioning the heat shield includes coupling the air filter assemblywith a flange comprising the conduit.
 34. The method of claim 29,wherein disposing the first gasket and disposing the second gasketinclude respectively disposing the first gasket on an upper edge of theheat shield and disposing the second gasket on a lower edge of the heatshield.
 35. The method of claim 29, wherein coupling the conduitincludes disposing portions of the conduit between the air filterassembly and the air intake.